Assess the Scene

Before rushing to act, consult with the team to evaluate any remaining avalanche hazard. Is there still unstable snow above the crown of the avalanche? Are there cliffs or crevasses below the team? Your team should also determine and verbalize where it is safe for rescuers and survivors to enter the avalanche area and begin the search.

Designating a leader helps prioritize tasks and minimize confusion. A leader’s role is to delegate duties, consult the checklist while others execute tasks, and take a bird’s eye view of the overall process.

Determine how many people are missing or unaccounted for and communicate that to the entire rescue party. This will cut down on confusion, particularly when other rescuers arrive.

If there are multiple victims, determine how you will use your resources. The harsh reality is that the team should prioritize the closest buried victim to make at least one rescue. Don’t attempt to save everyone and fail to save anyone.

When traveling in avalanche terrain, only one person should be exposed to hazardous areas at a time to decrease the likelihood of a multiple-victim avalanche. In the unlikely event that multiple people are caught, however, concentrate your rescue efforts on the closest buried victim and then move on to the next one.

Do not leave the site. While you are going to need help from outside resources, you are the first response and the best hope for rescuing your partner.

Determine how best to call for help (to other backcountry travelers, to 911, with a satellite device, or via VHF radio) based on your location. The rescue leader needs to make sure a member of the group immediately checks for a cell signal. Call for help via phone or radio before descending a slope, as you could lose the signal. Whatever communication device you have, take stock of the situation, make a note of your location, the nature of your emergency, the number in your group, and the number of people missing, injured, or buried. Take a moment to think about what you’re going to say before calling or radioing for help. Speak clearly and communicate your information as soon as you have contact. You may be cut off or lose battery power, so make sure to explain you have an avalanche and/or medical emergency and your location.

The rescue leader or someone tasked with the job should visually verify all rescuers switch their transceivers to search mode. A panicked rescuer who leaves their transceiver in transmit can confuse a search and cost the team valuable minutes. If you are traveling with a new or inexperienced team member, it’s worth double-checking their transceiver for them. The rescue leader should remind searchers to turn off cell phones, cameras, radios, and any other electronic devices (including electric gloves).